Flush valve



Aug". 24, 1943;

E. G. ORAVEC FLUSH VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 12, 1342 Z3 Z2 Z3 J5 29 5 5.9 I J-9 Patented Aug. 24; 1943 Emil G. .0ravec, Chicago, assignor to Crane I ,Co., .Ohicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois I -Ap iieat dn uarhj z,.1942, Serial N nnies 7 2 Claims. (c1. 137+9 in" j v f This invention relates to anew and improved flush valve. More particularlyfit has for one of its'prin'cipal objects the provisionjof anovel construction in asilentoperatingwalve which provides a silient refill. H I p Q R A further important object of this invention is to provide'a flHShf'VEI/IVB for closets having a spring loaded diaphragm wherein;a novel ,ar-

rangement of the diaphragm serv s, as a means for retarding the seating of theflushvalve. 7

Another important objectofj'this device lies in the provision of a continuously tapered disc of the serrated type which reduces turbulence or cavitation to a minimum and in combination with the seating regulator means insures proper refill forthe closet bowl'with which it is asmember 6; within the uppercylindrical chamber l5 1 throu hwhi h the plunger e 7 l whet? sembled, at the. completion of eaohi'flushing operation. I H

A still further object of thi invention. is to pro: vide a flush valve which, may easily be'adju'sted for the automatic refill when installed with a variety of types or sizes of closet bowls.

Other and further important objects will 'be ap-r parent from thedisclosurefin the specification and theacco-mpanying drawings, in which v V Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional assemblyview. of a flush valve embodyingmy invention,

the closure' member 6 ismoved to and'from its seat. '7 Atthe'upp'er'end, of this chamber I5 adiaphragmj I1 is positioned and is held firmlyin place by the threaded cap I8. The latter diaphragm I! may be made of rubberfor similar material. A sup: porting member or stifieni'ng plate iBfis assembled with the diaphragm I'Las indicated; both I the diaphragm I! and thesupportingmeniber I9 I arenormally flexedjin' a; convex shape bymeansl of the coil spring 2| whichisplacedbetween the supporting member [Sand the capfl l. -Ana'djusting Screw 22 'is' threadedly nounted centrally Within the cap I8 and acts dire'ctlyagainst the spring 2| for either increasingor decreasingthe tension thereof as desired. The cap 23 encloses the adjusting screw 22 to prevent any tampering 1 with the valve'adjustmenti" 20.

The valve proper is provided with an actuating I handleZ I tiltably mounted inthe-casingTI. Upon' downward movement of the handle 2d the rod extensionzfi contacts the stem 21 which isfixedlyi ,attached to the auxiliary Nah/e3; The latter movement of the handle causes the'valve 8 tobe I cantedzor tilted from its seat 9,]allowing line Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional viewshowing'j the valve in closed position and aslinstalled in a line carrying pressure,

Figs. 3; 4 and '5 illustrate successive positions of thevalve diaphragmduring respective'flushing and refilling operations,

Fig. 6 shows aniodifi'ed construction in which the employment ofa'bellows is substitutedL g i.

As shown in the drawings andgreferrin'g tofEig, l, the reference numerall indicatesgenerally the casing of a flush valvefof thisiinvention commonly employed in theiiushing' of closetcbowls or the like and having an inlet port I and an outletport" 3. A tapered vvalve seat dis positioned i'ri the casing I between the inlet Qandfitheoutlet3,'having v i in cooperation therewith A the correspondingly tapered closure memherfi whichjpreferablyisfla. i The unitary part of the plungergmeinber 1. plunger member I comprises.a body,v an auxiliary or pilot valve 8 having a seats, and: a spring I i lwater confined Within the chamber i5 to pass downwardly through the passageway 53, thence throughythe port normally intercepted by the auxiliary valve 8 andout through the bottom of the plunger 1. Immediately upon release of this fluid pressure in'the chamber It the incoming line, pressure commences to act against the leather. cup I lot the plunger 1, thllS 'fO1ClI1g the plunger to jtravel upwardl into th upper and now unfilledjchamber I6, By the foregoing ace tion;.the' closure member 6. has been. lifted from its; seat 4 and the flushing operation now takes place toiproduce a predetermined -volume of' 10 waterfto'pass to the fixture. However, when it subsequently becomes necessarylto stop the flush-- ing action it is desirable to have it cease gradu aI -I 1y order to avoid disturbance of the siphonic normally maintaining the pilot valve. 3 in sealed relationship with its seat An" apertured passage or port I2 is provided in thesideof the movablegbody, as indicated, having a central passage.

way I3, an annular cup leather] Q for "guiding the plunger member and providing a peripheral scal ing engagement wit'hin the casing I to accommodate the reciprocal movement of'theclo'sure w. I. action of the closet bowl. Aportion of the incoming'flushingfwater bypasses through the port 57 tothe chamber I5 above the plunger E and inasmuch as the auxiliary valve & has been returned toits' fseat by'the raising of the said plunger.

l thespring I I,,thepressure within the chamber I6 rises to thereby force the plunger I and the closure "member .6 .down to its seat t. It is unnecessary that the closure member fi'should seat upon the frusto-conical or tapered portion, as in, dicjated. Instead it may seat upon a flat horizon- I tal annular portion of the closure and in such case a minimum clearance may be maintained between the tapered surface portions of the seat and closure member, respectively, for reasons hereinafter referred to in more detail.

Frequently, in such cases in which the seat or 5 closure member is not tapered, the latter memhere is provided with an extension of smaller diameter therebelow that passes freely within the seat opening to serve as 'a throttling lip during the period of time when the plungerl is" seating. 0

The latter arrangement'results in the desirable the :final seating of the closure member occurs; a The chamber above the diaphragm is vented to' the atmosphere at 28 allowing for free movement of the diaphragm whether it be of rubber, metal or even of bellows form.

The use of a bellows 3! having a stop 32 as shown in Figmfi provides: for more available vole;

ume to'add to the chamber l 6 and thus is adapt- I able 'ior anysize closet bowl. It is also possible to use a coin A L ted diaipl'nfa'gmto' obtaiin'alarger volume control." It is possible toelim'inate the retarding of the final seating of the closure mem ber sufficiently long'enough to provide ample re I fill of the closet bowl after its siphonic action has '7 hat that s tea-Least.

for the" p rpose ref ie-e fr l m r w est 1 thatfhe pring loaded di gm ends the acticn oi the 1. a

'7 $11K? i eee se a ceased. 'However, it frequently happens tha 9 r? 15 throttling effect produced rsi'llts ifi undesirable f' A noises, probably originating largely ffroifii'the' t cavitation due tothrottling action; 7 7 It is therefore my purpose to momentarily retard the downward travel of the plunger "Tjust 20 and als assi esfof an ad:

' i e lt s With the valvenow 'injopep: Eigg3qthe flushing t" a o d n is reduced to a. 15 f e constantly as i era e o 7 ng upwardly of t teste t h in which the, valve emitte hi eas irect y'with th t d -me is 0 that r a. esi itis Fess; 1 eter ine t g at W ifi h and pressure only e n' D! spring.

tarding the in crea se inplre f It is just before the clos 'n prop r refill A rnea ww crease efcha r lSreach ts m 5 H4 eupp $319K? t ee s an ea r t, for actuating the said jauxil is; not a preferred construction.

ap a djgstalglelsgring is preferable as being the eg i eem f ur l ar val H. z

an 1'; e1 ie els of -{resilient means such as rubber he spring 25, but it is believed that of the resiliently loaded diaphragm,"whereupon the piston valve is temporarily retarded inits closing movement until such time as-the volume of the said chamber reaches its maximum and V pressure therewithin increases at a more rapid for initiating the operation ofthe main valve,

a closure member on the main valve for coopera- "en with a seat in the said casing, the main valve having a chamber thereabove for upward movement of the main valve upon release' of fluid pressure in this chamber by opening of the said auxiliary valve, a resiliently loaded diaphragm m the upper portion of the said chamber, whereby when the main valve is seated by increasing the pressure of fluid in the said chamber the volume of the chamber increases by a flexing of thediaphragm to a concave formandthe pressure increase is retarded until the volume again remains constant whereupon the main valve which was temporarily retarded by the retarded rate of pressure increase is moved to a full seating position. 7

5. A flush valve comprising a casing'having an inlet and an outlet, a valve seat between the inlet and the outlet, a piston valve reciprocably movable within the casing and cooperating with the seat to control the flow of water between the inlet and the outlet, a pilot valve carried by the said piston valve, actuating means for the said pilot valve, the casing having a chamber through the said piston valve, a resiliently loaded diaphragm in the upper portion of said chamber,

whereby when the piston valve is vseating by normally increasing pressure in the-said chamber, the pressure rise is automatically retarded as the volume of the said chamber increases by the above the said piston valve, bypass means 7 compression of the resilently loaded diaphragm,

whereupon the piston valve is temporarily retarded in its closing movement until suchrtime as the volume of the said chamber reaches its maximum andpres'sure therewithin again increases at its normal rate forcing thepiston valve closed, a cover for the diaphragm having means communicating with the atmosphere.

6. A fiush valve comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet, a seat in the housing separating the. inlet from the outlet, a plunger in the housing reciprocably movable in a chamber above the said' seat, the said plunger complunger rises from the seat, bypass means from the inlet to the upper chamber, a flexible spring loaded diaphragm in the upper chambenwhereby fluid entering said chamber through the by-' pass means creates a hydrostatic pressurewhich increases at a constant rate of speed until the pressure exceeds the spring tension, the flexible diaphragm assuming a concave form, the volume 1 of the chamber being increased as the pressure in the chamber increases whereby the seating of the plunger is" retarded, enclosure means'for clamping the said {diaphragm to the r a said housing;

EMIL G. oRAvEC. 

